Liberty previously had the ability to block any asset sales, which was seen as a potential hurdle when Barnes & Noble chairman Leonard Riggio announced his intention to buy the company’s bookstore chain. He later abandoned those plans.

Barnes & Noble has also considered spinning off its struggling Nook unit, which is grappling with a slowdown in digital book sales. But last summer, the New York-based company said it would instead cease in-house production of tablets.

In February, new CEO Michael Huseby indicated that Barnes & Noble is in discussions with potential hardware partners for Nook.